FAQ’s

You Have Questions about personal injury, We Have Answers

We hear from car accident and personal injury victims every day at Callahan Law, P.S., Inc.. Based on our conversations with our clients over the years we have compiled a few questions you may have while researching for a personal injury case.

I’ve been in an accident, what should I do?

Unless you are badly injured, the law requires you to exchange contact and insurance information with others involved. Call for aid if anyone is injured.

Do not admit fault to the police, or anyone else. Ask the officer if you can give a statement later, as you may not even realize the extent to which you are “in shock” from the event. You should only give a statement to police when in a clear frame of mind.

Go immediately to the hospital or your doctor to be checked, even if initially you feel OK. After an accident, adrenalin may mask injury. Hours or days may pass before you realize you really are hurt. If you delay getting medical help, insurers are apt to believe you were not truly injured during the incident.

Call your insurance to make a claim with the time required—often within 24 hours (see your insurance card or policy). If the insurance company or attorney of the person at fault calls, they may ask you to record a statement. Don’t talk to them, let alone be recorded! Refer them to your insurance company or your lawyer. You probably do not have a full understanding of what happened, or of your injuries or losses right now and you may say something that will later limit your recovery.

Find a good lawyer for advice—we can help. Researching the web is no substitute for legal advice tailored to you and your unique incident. Also, the other party’s insurance adjuster may hound you to settle for an inadequate sum by signing a release. Don’t do it without the advice of your own advocate—you need a lawyer on your side.

How do car accident settlements work?

A lawsuit may be filed immediately, resulting in the court scheduling of a series of events. However, in most cases it is more prudent first to determine the extent of the injuries, which may be discovered in the course of treatment, but not known initially. Also, an injury may later be determined to be permanent, which should result in greater compensation over the estimated lifetime of the injured person.

Most cases, by far, are settled through negotiation by your lawyer with the insurance company without the filing of a lawsuit. Settlement efforts may be delayed somewhat until you are fully recovered; the total amount of “special damages” (compensation for medical bills and related expenses) is not known until you are done treating your injuries. Those who have purchased optional Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance policy may submit medical bills to their insurer to be paid as they are treated. Those without PIP may have medical providers who will agree to wait to be paid until a settlement is reached with the other party’s insurance.

Once your medical expenses are determined, a “demand” letter is prepared and presented to the insurance adjuster for the other side. The more powerful the letter, in terms of concrete evidence of injury, the larger the settlement offer will be.

Why hire a personal injury lawyer?

It is important to hire a personal injury lawyer to protect your interests and to make sure you are not taken advantage of. Whether you are injured as a result of a car accident or a slip and fall, the insurance company covering the other person or business at fault will act quickly. They will attempt to take a recorded interview of you with leading questions and they will quickly spin any of your answers to try and show you were partially at fault or otherwise have some contributory negligence.

Further, even a person’s own insurance company can act against them and will try to pay for as little as possible. Hiring a personal injury attorney immediately puts up a wall between you and the insurance companies, allowing you to be protected from manipulation. A personal injury attorney will coordinate all of the communication with the insurance company and they have the skills and experience to make sure your claim is presented in the most effective manner, to maximize your results and compensation. Here at Callahan Law we are dedicated to helping all of our personal injury clients to get the best result possible

How to choose/hire a personal injury lawyer?

The process of hiring and choosing a personal injury lawyer can seem overwhelming as there are a large number of attorneys who practice in this area of law. Whether you have been injured in a car accident or suffered a slip and fall, you want to find the lawyer and law firm that fits you best. The most important thing to do is ask for a free consultation and aim to have this consultation in person. This is your opportunity to essentially interview the attorney while also getting a much clearer picture of how a personal injury claim works and the process you will be looking at.

A significant part of the attorney client relationship is developing a level of comfort and trust and the in person consultation will allow you to do that. Make sure to ask about the attorney’s experience and what that firm can do to assist you in getting the best possible outcome. Choose the attorney who you feel the most comfortable with and who was able to provide you with the most helpful information during the free consultation. Here atCallahan Law, P.S., Inc. we offer 100% free in person consultations.

Awards & Associations

Reviews

Although I did not work directly with Linda Callahan, I did have the pleasure in working with Callahan Law attorney Stephen Grant. My experience with Callahan Law was nothing short of amazing. I felt completely confident in the support I was given throughout my case. Stephen did a really thorough job with finding every point and detail that would benefit me in my situation and he took the time to effectively communicate with me on multiple fronts. He is very skillfully talented in what he does as an attorney and I feel very lucky to have crossed paths with him during a tough time in my life. I can positively walk away from my resolved case knowing that I received the best possible outcome. I am truly thankful.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH CALLAHAN LAW – ANONYMOUS

Not only did they win my case for me but Stephen Grant made everything so simple and easy to understand not to mention that the outcome of my case was SIGNIFICANTLY better than I could have hoped. Really sincerely top notch service in every aspect of the word. Not that I hope to ever need his help again but I would call Callahan Law without a shadow of a doubt. Literally thanks a million Mr. Grant.

WOW, JUST FREAKIN WOW. – BRIAN

The resolution was very, very favorable considering the circumstances. Every case has strengths & weaknesses and these were dealt with handily. To my relief, I did not feel like a cog or lost in a busy “maximize profit ” machine. Plus & very importantly, other groups brought into the process were honest as well (to my relief). Thank-you Linda, I’d call on you again.

VERY GOOD – BILL

She helped me with presenting the case and ultimately getting a verdict in my favor.Throughout the case, she showed empathy and understanding. She kept me continuously updated on the case.She is highly knowledgeable and I would recommend her to anybody needing help in this area.

GREAT LAWYER – M.V.

Thank you for the wonderful level of service. I am again very pleased with your level of professionalism and keeping me informed throughout the process. It means that world, and I cordially appreciate it. I’ve dealt with too many attorney who perform exceptionally until after the point in which I signed the contract, so it’s a stark contrast. I’m an indeed a satisfied client. Should I need legal services again, I will seek you out. And I will send referrals your way as opportunities arise.

EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS – WONDERFUL LAW FIRM! – DUNG

Ms. Callahan is an outstanding professional. From the moment I contacted her office (on a weekend), I received timely, courteous, and personal replies concerning every aspect of my case. I am impressed with Ms. Callahan’s staff; her office manager is highly organized and communicates information both in writing and over the telephone at every juncture of the process. I was made to feel like a unique individual, not a faceless entity or case number; Ms. Callahan is both a compassionate human being and a formidable attorney who clearly has earned the respect of her colleagues and who is meticulous in her strategies. Ms. Callahan is very sensitive to the ways in which a legal case profoundly affects one’s personal and professional life, and never fails to offer support and encouragement along the way. I am very happy with the outcome of my case and would highly recommend Ms. Callahan to anyone. I assure you that you will not be disappointed.

PROFESSIONAL AND EMPATHIC – ANONYMOUS

I want to thank Linda and the team for helping me out on my case and the result. In a stressful time,Your team did an awesome job of making me comfortable keeping me aware of what to do,expect,and what needs to happen.If I had a question, you would respond in promptly.great attorney woulI really appreciate everything you have done.I hope I never have to use you again for something like this but I what I “WILL DO” is highly recommend your team to help any family,friends,or associates.Thanks again…

GREAT ATTORNEY WHO KNOWS THE LAW – ANONYMOUS

Thanks to Ms. Callahan’s expertise I was able to arm myself with the knowledge needed to impress the presiding judge to my favor. She poses everything one would want in a lawyer – tough, intelligent, knowledgeable and extremely professional – but, she also possess a lot of empathy and emotional support to help you through a tough time.

AMAZING & PROFESSIONAL – ANONYMOUS

I was always impressed with Linda Callahan’s (and legal team) professionalism. Linda was always forthright and straight forward yet she put my mind at ease. Linda Callahan’s effort was impressive and payed off. I,m very happy with the results. Thank You

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Callahan Law, P.S., Inc. is located in Seattle, WA and serves clients in and around Vashon, Auburn, North Bend, Snoqualmie, Preston, King County and Snohomish County.

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